Valentina Cameranesi

THREE QUESTIONS FOR VALENTINA CAMERANESI

Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi was born in Rome. She has worked in the publishing industry, as an illustrator, as the head designer of lighting and furniture for the Diesel Home Collection, as a set designer, as an art director and as a ceramics designer. In other words, she is the consummate Creative Master. But what we love most about Valentina is her way of seeing every detail in the world from a new, oblique angle - her work goes against the grain without being dark, and is fresh without being naive.

1. Define originality.

I think it’s the ability to be real, to fully believe in what you do, to need it, feel it and therefore express yourself originally in creating it. We’re all influenced, just like we all influence others. No one has an unconditionally original idea; but it’s the way in which we each interpret our inspirations that transforms the input into something original.

2) What do you love most about your job?

Meeting people, working with other people is very stimulating for me. And I have been lucky in having met only really nice and extraordinary people so far. And then in the moments in which I’m working on my own, I love to collect and extract the “leftovers” from other ideas - I do infinite research. At times, I find that these images don’t take me anywhere in specific - they just hover about as future ideas to develop, they keep me going.

3) What was your strongest impression of Sardinia?

First of all, the landscape - the “mineral” presence of these strong rocks, sand, salt that are wedged in between all of the plants and bushes. (You’ve told me about the wild orchids in the countryside in Spring, and now I have to see them.)And then, the ornaments hidden everywhere - simple and lavish at the same time. The miniature bronze statues in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari, the spirals in the eyes of the Giants, the braids, the braids, the braids…